Rotary shower brush



June 4, 1963 P. L. ROBERTS ROTARY SHOWER BRUSH Filed March 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Paul L. Roberts INVENTOR.

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June 4, 1963 P. L. ROBERTS ROTARY SHOWER BRUSH Filed March 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Paul L. Roberfs 1N VEN TOR.

June 4, 1963 P. L. ROBERTS 3,091,776

ROTARY SHOWER BRUSH Filed March 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 o a 84 r f% I 56. 86 k" EEK) *78 IME Fig. 4

mg Q /06 Paul L. Roberts INVENTOR.

Patented June 4, 1963 3,091,776 ROTARY SHOWER BRUSH Paul L. Roberts, Rte. 3, Twin Falls, Idaho Filed Mar. 27, 1962, L No. 182,735 7 Claims. (Cl. 4-158) This invention relates to rotatable brushes, and particularly to power driven rotatable brushes mounted in a shower so as to scrub and clean by power means a human body.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide power operated brushes which are particularly adapted to be installed in a shower so as to scrub a human body, and therefore, the power operated brushes are particularly suited for sick, old, and feeble people taking a shower bath.

It is another object of the invention to provide power operated brushes in a shower stall which are provided with means for supplying water at a controlled temperature on the brushes, and if desired, for also supplying soap or a liquid detergent on the brushes.

It is another object of the invention to provide power driven shower brushes that are driven by electric motor in such a manner thatt here is no danger of the occupant of the shower receiving a shock.

It is another object of the invention to provide a power operated rotary brush device for showers wherein the power apparatus for rotating the brushes is mounted at the top of the shower stall and sealed from water.

It is another object of the invention to provide novel overload release clutches for driving the rotary brushes, and the clutches serving the secondary function of permitting the brushes to be disconnected from the drive shaft for removal from the shower for purposes of repair or replacement.

It is another object of the invention to provide rotary brushes for shower stalls and power operating means therefor which are simple in construction, economical to manufacture and durable in use.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention installed in a conventional shower stall;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially through the center of the shower stall in FIG- URE l and showing parts broken away;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of iine 44 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged elevational view showing the upper means for mounting and driving the brush shafts; and 7 FIGURE 6 is an enlarged elevational view showing the means for supporting the lower ends of the brush shafts.

As shown in the drawings, the rotary shower brush is installed in a conventional rectangular shower stall 10 having four side walls 12, 14, 16 and 18, and a floor 20 sloping towards the central drain 22. The front wall 12 has a rectangular opening 24 formed therein which constitutes an entrance to the shower.

The brushes 26 and 28 are substantially identical and each includes a multitude of radially extending bristles 30 secured in a cylindrical arrangement about a tubular core or sleeve 32. As shown in FIGURE 5, each sleeve 32 telescopically receives and is fixed to a rotatable shaft 34. Each end of shaft 34 extends beyond sleeve 32, and the upper end is provided with a radially extending drive pin 36 which extends through and is secured within a bore in the shaft, while the lower end of the shaft 34 extends through and is fixed to an annular washer-type thrust bearing 38.

A horizontal shelf 40 is fixed to the central lower portion of the back wall 16 and is braced by triangular end flanges 42 below the shelf. A pair of closely spaced ears 44 is secured on the upper surface of each side of the shelf 40. A vertically rockable bearing assembly comprising an annular support sleeve 46 is pivotally mounted between each pair of cars by means of a pair of radially extending pins 48 secured to each side of the sleeve 46 and journaled in bores in the ears 44. A resilient sleeve 50 also surrounds the lower end of shaft 34 and has a reduced extension which extends into an annular recess within the sleeve 46. An anti-friction type thrust washer 52 is floatingly mounted between the sleeve 50 and thrust bearing 38.

A waterproof container 54 is secured to the top portion of the shower stall 16. The container is of generally rectangular construction in horizontal cross section as shown in FIGURE 3 and has a iiat bottom 56. An anti-friction bearing assembly 58 of conventional design is mounted within an aperture on each side of the :bot-

tom 56. The bearings 58 are in vertical alignment with the sleeves 46 and 50 at the bottom of the shower. Each anti-friction bearing 58 includes an annular housing flange 60 which is secured to the bottom 56 by nut and bolt assemblies 62.

A vertically extending drive shaft 64 extends through the inner race 66 of each anti-friction bearing 58 and is secured to this race by means of a setscrew 68. A spring abutment sleeve or collar 70 is secured to the central portion of the drive shaft 64 by means of a setscrew 72 and a clutch sleeve 74 is slidably mounted on the lower end of the drive shaft for detachably coupling same to the driven shaft 34. A coil spring 76 surrounds the drive shaft between the sleeves and the ends of the spring are rigidly secured to each sleeve by conventional means such as welding. Alternatively, the clutch sleeve 74 may be drivingly connected to shaft 64 and yet slidable thereon by welding a key in a keyway cut in shaft 64 and having this key extending into an axial groove cut within sleeve 74. In such case, the spring 76 would not be secured to the sleeves 70 and 74. A drive pulley 78 is fixed to the upper end of drive shaft 64 by means of setscrew 8t and the pulley has a V-groove 82 around its periphery.

Two parallel bolts 84 are secured to the back wall 16 and project inwardly into the container 54. The bolts extend through an apertured vertically extending plate 86 which is urged against the heads of the bolts by springs 88 surrounding the bolts. A conventional electric motor 90 is secured to the plate 86 and drives a vertical drive shaft 92 by means of a transmission 94- secured to one end of the motor by means of bolts 96. A cylindrical sleeve-type pulley 98 is secured to the lower end of drive shaft 92 and frictionally engages the fiat outer surface of a V-belt 100 which extends around and drivingly connects the adjacent pulleys '78.

The motor 90 is controlled by a conventional switch 102 which is connected in a conventional manner by means of conductors (not shown) to the motor and to a power source. The push button and housing of the switch 102 are preferably composed of a non-conductive material so as to be completely insulated from the shower 10 and thereby absolutely prevent any possibility of the occupant of the shower from being shocked. v

The peripheral surfaces of the brushes 26 and 28 just 3 contact at the center of the back wall 15, and directly behind this point of contact is mounted a vertically extending spray pipe 164. The spray pipe 104 is provided with two rows of vertically extending bores or nozzles 1126 and 108 directed towards the shafts of the brushes. bottom end of the pipe 1&4 is secured to the back wall by means of a bracket 110 and the upper end of this pipe extends through the bottom 56. r

The side wall 14 is provided with a conventional hot wa-. ter valve 112 and cold water valve 114; The valves 112 and 114 are connected to hot water and cold water supply pipes 116 and 118 respectively and the outlets of these valves are connected to a T-fitting 120. The outlet of the T-fitting 121 is connected to an on Oh valve 122 whose outlet is connected to a mixing tank 124 by means of a pipe 126. The outlet of the mixing tank 124 is connected to the top of spray pipe 104 by means of a short pipe 128.

A liquid soap or detergent container 130 is secured to the side wall 14 adjacent one side of the valves 112 and 114. The soap container 130 is connected to the top of the mixing tank 124 by means of a tubular conduit 132. As illustrated, the container 130 is provided with a pump operated by hand knob 134. For purposes of simplicity, the pipes and conduits 116, 118, 126 and 132 have been illustrated as being located inside the shower stall, however, in actual practice these pipes and conduits would preferably be located and concealed behind the shower wall.

' Alternatively, the upper end of tube 132 may be connected to a venturi within the pipe 126 so that flow of water through the pipe 126 will create a suction in conduit 132. The flow of detergent into the other end of the conduit 132 may be controlled by a hand valve. A check valve in conduit 132 would prevent reverse flow of the detergent therein. Also, if desired, the container 130 and hand pump therein may be substituted for by a flexible squeeze-type hand operated bulb.

If desired, a pull down curtain may be provided on the forward edge 138 of the container 54 so that this curtain may be pulled down a desired amount over the upper portion of the brushes 2.6 and 28 so as to prevent soap and water from contacting the face of the bather.

In operation, the motor 90 is energized by means of the switch 162 so as to drive the shaft 92 by means of the transmission 94. The shaft 92 drives the two drive shafts 64 by means of pulley 98, belt 100, and pulleys 78. Each sleeve 74 is provided on its lower end with a pair of diametrically opposed arcuate recesses 14%) which receive in driving relationship the clutch drive pins 36. The springs 76 urge the sleeves 74 into driving relationship with the pins 36. The driving torque is transmitted from the drive shafts 64 to the brushes by means of sleeves 70, springs 76, clutch sleeves 74 and clutch pins After the brushes are rotating, the bather applies water and detergent thereto by proper operation of the valves 1 12, 114 and 132 and the hand pump 134. Of course, a short time after termination of operation of the plunger 134, only clear water will flow through the nozzles 196 and 108 whereby the bather will be rinsed.

The brushes may be easily removed by lifting up the sleeves 74 against the tension of springs 76 and swinging or tilting the shafts 34 forwardly about pivot pins 48 out of alignment with the shaft 64. The shafts 34 with their brushes may then be axially removed from the sleeves 50 and 4 6. Of course, just the reverse procedure is used for re-installing the brushes.

Although the brushes may be operated at any desired speed, a speed range of 25 to 500 r.p.m. is satisfactory. Any desired number of brushes may be used.

During the operation of the brushes, the clutch members 74 and 36 function as safety features in that if the The bat-her should accidentally entangle a portion of his body between the brushes, then the excess torque imposed on the brush shafts will cause the sleeve 74 to be cammed upwardly by the arcuate pins 36 and arcuate slots 148 so that the clutch will release and the rotation of the brushes will be prevented. Also, the fact that the brushes are driven through the torsional springs 76 acts as an additional shock absorber for preventing injury to the bather.

It is also to be noted that the springs 83 function as shock absorbers or vibration dampeners for reducing the amount of vibration transmitted from motor 911 to the shower stall.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A shower apparatus comprising an enclosure, pairs of vertically aligned upper and lower bearings mounted in the enclosure, said lower bearings being rockable in a vertical plane, vertical drive shafts journaled in the upper bearings, vertical driven shafts removably journaled in said lower hearings in alignment with the drive shafts, cylindrical brushes mounted on the driven shafts for rotation therewith, means for actuating the drive shafts in unison, and means for operatively and detachably connecting said drive shafts to the driven shafts whereby said driven shafts may be swung out of alignment with said drive shafts and removed from said lower bearings.

2. A shower apparatus in accordance with claim 1, the second-named means including coupling sleeves rotatable and slidable on the adjacent end portions of the drive and driven shafts, means slidably and yieldingly connecting the sleeves to the driven shafts for rotation therewith, and means releasably connecting the driven shafts to the sleeves for rotation'thereby.

3. A shower apparatus in accordance with claim 2, the third-named means including coil springs mounted on the drive shafts and having one end afiixed to the sleeves, and means for securing the coil springs to the drive shafts for actuation thereby.

4. A shower apparatus in accordance with claim 3, said coil spring securing means including collars amxed to the drive shafts and to the other ends of the coil springs.

5. A shower apparatus in accordance with claim 4, said collars being adjustable on thedrive shafts for regulating the tension of the coil springs.

6. A shower apparatus in accordance with claim 3, the fourth-named means including pins mounted diametrically in the driven shafts, said sleeves'havi-ng notches in their lower ends receiving the end portions of said pins.

7. The combination of claim 3, together with means in the enclosure for spraying water on the brushes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,3'14 Hewlett July 25, 1916 1,232,779 Ewart July 10, 1917 1,400,448 Mellenthin Dec. 13, 1921 1,942,217 Paul Jan. 2, 1934 2,521,715 Hacker Sept. 12, 1950 2,546,288 Zucker Mar. 27, 1951 2,813,275 Davenport Nov. 19, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,031,428 France Mar. 1 8, 1953 

1. A SHOWER APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ENCLOSURE, PAIRS OF VERTICALLY ALIGNED UPPER AND LOWER BEARINGS MOUNTED IN THE ENCLOSURE, SAID LOWER BEARINGS BEING ROCKABLE IN A VERTICAL PLANE, VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFTS JOURNALED IN THE UPPER BEARINGS, VERTICAL DRIVEN SHAFTS REMOVABLY JOURNALED IN SAID LOWER BEARINGS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE DRIVE SHAFTS, CYLINDRICAL BRUSHES MOUNTED ON THE DRIVEN SHAFTS FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, MEANS FOR ACTUATING THE DRIVE SHAFTS IN UNISON, AND MEANS FOR OPERATIVELY AND DETACHABLY CONNECTING SAID DRIVE SHAFTS TO THE DRIVEN SHAFTS WHEREBY SAID DRIVEN SHAFTS MAY BE SWUNG OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH SAID DRIVE SHAFTS AND REMOVED FROM SAID LOWER BEARINGS. 